Disk brake mechanism



1952 P. w. GAENSSLE ETAL 2,622,704

DISK BRAKE MECHANISM Filed Aug. 16, 1950 2 SHEETS-Sl-IEET 1 IN V EN TORS Paul \Alflciaenssle BY Joseph H.Coombes.

ATTORNEY Dec. 23, 1952 P. w. GAENSSLE ETAL ,704

DISK' BRAKE MECHANISM 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Aug. 16, 1950 m W Mmo M T e o 0 N a C T E .7 V .H G NWh I l P u% I 1 a 4 Pk IT L4 Patented Dec. 23, 1952 T FFECE DISK BRAKE MECHANISIW.

Paul W. Gaenssle, Ambler,

and Joseph H.

Coombes, Jenkintown, Pa., assignors to The Budd Company, Philadelphia, Fax, 2. corporationof Pennsylvania Application August 16, 1950; Serial No. 179,738

5 Claims. 1.

This invention relates-to vehicle brakes, and, more particularly; to disc brakes for association with a railway truck.

Such brakes have heretofore been mounted mainly on a separate or U-shaped frame, whose ends were carried by the ends of the axle and whose intermediate portion was supported on the truck frame. Such mountin on the axle maintained the shoes carried by the (s-frame aligned with the discs carried by the axle.

It is an object'of the invention to simplify the brake arrangement and reduce the cost of manufacture as well as decrease the unsprung weight by eliminating the c frame and supporting the brake shoes associated with each disc directly from the truck frame in such a'manner that the shoes are maintained aligned with the braking faces of the discs.

This and other objects and advantages and the manner in which theyare attained will become apparent from the following detailed description, when read in connection with the drawings forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one-half of a railway truck showing the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View, the section being taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail transverse sectional view, the section being taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view, the section being taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figs. 3 and 5; and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, with the section taken substantially on theline 5 5 of Fig. 4.

The truck to which the invention is shown applied comprises a frame I!) spring-supported, through spring nests, as H, from the equalizers, as [2, having their ends resting on top of the journal boxes, as l3. With this arrangement, the wheel and axle assemblies, as M, are free to have slight tilting movement with respect to the frame due to unequal deflection of the springs II at the opposite sides of the truck.

Each wheel and axle assembly comprises an axle, as 15, whose ends are mounted in the journal boxes I 3, and the latter are mounted for vertical sliding movement between pedestal jaws l6, I6, Fig. 2, adjacent the ends of the frame it). Each wheel and axle assembly further comprises the pair of wheels 11, ll carried adjacent the axle ends and with each wheel are associated ro- 2. tary radial brake faces, carried in this instance by brake discs, I8, [8, one secured to each wheel.

The truck frame may comprise the longitudinal side frame elements l9, l9 interconnected by transoms 20, 2! and 22 at each half portion thereof, see Fig. 1.

Separate brake mechanism for cooperating with each of the discs [8 is mounted on the transom 2i opposite each disc, see Fig. 1.

Each brake mechanism comprises a pair of segmental shoes 23, 23 associated with the opposed radial faces Z l, 24 of the associated rotary disc l8. These shoes are pivotally supported at 25, 26" respectively, on one of the ends of the brake levers 2T, 26 pivoted intermediate their endson' pins 255, 33 carried by a brake support designated generally by numeral 3|. The other endsof the'levers are interconnected by an actuatingcylinder 32, for applying the brakes.

To allow the shoes to follow the movements of ie associated disc under the unequal deflections of the springs II, the brake support 3| carrying the brake levers, and shoes on the opposite sides thereof is mounted on a longitudinally extending pivot pin 33'which is disposed between the pivot pins 29, 39 of the levers, see Fig. 5. As is clearly shown in Fig". 5, the axis of pivot pin 33 lies approximately in the plane which passes through the leversZl, 28. The pivot pins 29, 3B are each backed by a light coil spring, as 34, to hold the brake support in normal central position and to prevent'rattling and consequent wear. thereof, see Fig. 5.

To. seal the parts and further act to assist the springs 34 in yieldingly holding the brake support 3! in normal central position, resilient means, such as rubber cushions, as 35 and 3B, are interposed between the upper face of the support, and abutments M and 38 on the bracket 39 secured to the transom 2| and carrying the longitudinally extending pivot pin 33 between perforated downward projections at, M thereof, see Fig. 4.

Thes rubber cushions are designed to yield sufliciently to allow the shoes to follow the movements of the disc, so that their braking faces are in full engagement with the radial faces on the disc at all times durin braking.

To facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the shoe supporting levers 2'5, 28, the pivot pins 29, 39, of the levers are of stepped form, see Fig. 5, and the support 3! is comprised of separate upper and lower parts 31a and Bib in which the pins are journalled. Bolts, as 42, normally hold the parts in assembled relation. By removing 3 the bolts 42, the lower part 3!!) together with the pins and levers may be downwardly removed, as is obvious from the showing of Fig. 5.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been herein described in detail, it will be understood that changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a Wheel and axle assembly, a truck frame spring-supported from the opposite ends of said assembly, wheels carried by said assembly and a brake disc associated with each wheel, brake shoes associated with the opposite faces of each disc, a support for said shoes mounted on the frame to rotate on a longitudinal axis, said support pivotally carrying, on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, a pair of brake levers, one associated with each of the shoes associated with a disc, said longitudinal axis of the support being located approximately in a plane passing through said brake levers, and means disposed between the brake support and frame on each side of a plane through the axis of said support for yieldingly opposing the rotary movement of said brake support.

2. In combination, a wheel and axle assembly, a truck frame spring-supported from the opposite ends of said assembly, wheels carried by said assembly and a brake disc associated with each wheel, brake shoes associated with the opposite faces of each disc, a support for said shoes mounted on the frame to rotate on a longitudinal horizontal axis, said support pivotally carrying, on opposite sides of said longitudinal axis, a pair of brake levers, one associated with each of the shoes associated with a disc, fixed abutments on said frame in line with the brake lever pivots and means yieldingly opposing the rotary movement of said support including rubber pads in line with said brake lever pivots and interposed between the support and respective fixed abutments on the frame.

3. In combination, a wheel and axle assembly, a truck frame spring-supported from the opposite ends of said assembly, a pair of spaced rotary braking faces associated with said assembly, brake shoes associated with the respective faces of said pair, a support for said shoes mounted on the frame to rotate in a longitudinal axis, said support pivotally carrying an opposite sides of said longitudinal axis, a pair of brake levers, one associated with each of the shoes, said longitudinal axis of the support being located approximately in a plane passing through said brake levers, and means disposed between the brake support and frame on each side of a plane through the axis of said support for yieldingly opposing the rotary movement of the brake support from its normal position.

4. In combination, a wheel and axle assembly, a truck frame spring-supported from the opposite ends of said assembly and including a transversely extending member, a brake disc carried by said wheel and axle assembly, and brake mechanism cooperative with said disc mounted on said transversely extending member, said brake mechanism comprising brake shoes associated with the opposite faces of said disc, a supporting bracket on said transverse member and a support for said shoes mounted to rotate on a longitudinal axis in said bracket, abutments carried by the bracket and arranged on opposite sides of a plane through said axis, and yielding means interposed between said abutments and the support for yieldingly maintaining the shoe support in a normal central .position but permitting limited rotation thereof.

5. In combination, a wheel and axle assembly, a truck frame spring-supported from the opposite ends of said assembly and including a transversely extending member, a pair of spaced rotary braking faces carried by said assembly, and brake mechanism cooperative with said braking faces and mounted on said transversely extending member, said brake mechanism comprising brake shoes associated with the respective faces of said pair, a bracket carried by said transversely extending member, a brake support mounted for rotation on said bracket about a longitudinal axis, brake levers carrying the shoes and actuating means therefor, said brake levers being pivotally mounted on said support on opposite sides of a plane through the vertical plane of said axis, said longitudinal axis of the support being located approximately in a plane passing through said brake levers, abutments on said bracket at each side of said vertical plane, and yielding means interposed between said abutments on the bracket and the brake support for yieldingly holding the support in normal central position but permitting limited rotation thereof.

PAUL W. GAENSSLE. JOSEPH I-I. COOMBES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,355,122 Tack Aug. 8, 1944 2,359,788 Pierce Oct. 10, 1944 

